Friends Who Are Going

Friends Attending

Friends Attending

Friends Attending

Description

Blackwell's is delighted to welcome James Attlee on Wednesday 8th November to discuss his latest publication 'Guernica – Painting the End of the World', a brilliant, concise and up-to-date account of what is often described as the greatest painting of the twentieth century.

In 'Guernica Painting the End of the World', James Attlee explores its historical context during the Spanish Civil War; the artistic influences Picasso drew on in painting it; the response it received from artists, critics and the public; its travels across America and Europe; its post-war adoption by new generations of anti-war protestors; and its eventual return to Spain following the death of Franco, where it hangs in the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid.

2017 is the 80th anniversary of both the painting and the attack, which remains a byword for barbarity. Featuring interviews with contemporary artists and leading art world figures and positioning Guernica in the context of contemporary culture, the book argues that the message of Picasso’s masterpiece remains just as relevant today as it was in 1937.

James will be interviewed by Emma Ridgway, Head of Programme at Modern Art Oxford.

James Attlee is the author of books including 'Station to Station' (shortlisted for the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year Award in 2017), 'Nocturne: A Journey in Search of Moonlight', 'Isolarion: A Different Oxford Journey', and 'Gordon Matta-Clark: The Space Between' as well as numerous essays, chapters and articles, mainly concerning art and books. He worked for 10 years in the publishing department of the Tate in London. His geo-located literary app The Cartographer’s Confession, part of The Ambient Literature Project, will launch in October 2017.